PIO seeks $7.6 million in suit over missing MH370

An Indian-origin Malaysian woman Thursday sued Malaysia Airlines and the government for $7.6 million in damages over the loss of her husband on Flight MH370 which mysteriously disappeared nearly two years ago with 239 people onboard.

Thirty-two-year-old K. Sri Devi’s husband S. Puspanathan, then a governance specialist, was among the 239 passengers including five Indians and crew on board the Beijing-bound Boeing 777 aircraft. Devi, who is a housewife, filed the 32 million Malaysian Ringgit ($7.6 million) negligence suit before the Kuala Lumpur high court by her lawyer Shailender Bhar.

In the lawsuit, Devi along with her two young sons and parents-in-law have alleged wrongful death of Puspanathan due to alleged negligence and breach of contract by the airline and government agencies. The suit was filed against Malaysia Airlines and eight others from the government over the disappearance of flight MH370 which is believed to have crashed in the Indian Ocean two years ago two years ago, the Malaysian Insider reported.

The aircraft left Kuala Lumpur International Airport in the wee hours of March 8, 2014 for Beijing and was declared as having “ended in the Southern Indian Ocean and all lives lost”. Apart from a wing part called flaperon, no other part of the plane has been found so far despite a massive search operation in the Indian Ocean.

Included in the suit as plaintiffs are the couple’s children Haresh Varmer, 5, and Thashvarmen, 3, and Puspanathan’s parents, G. Subramaniam and A. Amirathan. Bhar said among those named as part to the action were Malaysian Airlines System Bhd, Malaysia Airlines Bhd, the department of civil aviation, immigration department, Royal Malaysian Air Force and the government.

Bhar said the thrust of the suit was that the owner was negligent in causing the aircraft to go missing. He added that the civil aviation and immigration departments were also in breach of their statutory duties. The plaintiffs are seeking damages for, among others, loss of support, nervous shock and bereavement. “The family has been waiting for answers and the plane to be discovered but to no avail,” he said.